Agenda item

Councillor Lin Patterson presented a petition containing over 2,200 signatures calling for action on climate change now and made a statement in support.

On a motion from Councillor Rob Appleyard, seconded by Councillor Mark Shelford, it was

RESOLVED that

This Council acknowledges;

1.  The devastating impacts that climate change and global temperature increases will have on the lives and livelihoods of people around the world, including on the health, safety and wellbeing of B&NES residents;

2.  The urgent need for action to be taken fast enough for there to be a chance of further climate change being limited to avoid the worst impacts of drought, floods, extreme heat and poverty for hundreds of millions of people;

3.  The opportunity for individuals and organisations at all levels to take action on reducing carbon emissions, from both production and consumption;

4.  The need to enable low carbon living across society through changes to laws, taxation, infrastructure plus transport in all forms, policies and plans;

5.  The historic commitments made at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris regarding the future of renewable energy;

6.  That global temperatures have already increased by 1oC compared to pre-industrial levels, are still rising, and are on track to overshoot the Paris Agreement limit before 2050;

7.  That the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Special Report (November 2018) makes clear the need to ensure global carbon emissions start to decline well before 2030 to avoid overshoot and enable global warming to be limited to 1.5?C;

8.  Our responsibility to help secure an environmentally sustainable future for our residents and in relation to the global effects of anthropogenic climate change.

This Council subsequently notes that;

9.  Despite the Paris Agreement placing no binding commitments upon local government institutions, we as a Council can still play our part in the global movement towards a sustainable energy future, this is evidenced in recent reports which show with ambitious action from national and sub-national authorities, civil society, the private sector, indigenous peoples and local communities, further climate change can be limited;

10.The UK is well placed to contribute to this, drawing upon our existing industrial base, rooted in an industrial heritage which once before revolutionised the global energy economy to the great benefit of humankind;

11.B&NES is well-placed to champion both rural and urban decarbonisation through renewable energy, energy efficiency, smart energy development, zero carbon homes, local & sustainable food, sustainable travel, carbon sequestration;

12.The Council is already working on a number of these issues including, for example, work to ensure the new Local Plan ensures zero carbon development and that the Council-owned ACL builds its new homes to that standard;

13.More needs to be done to enable Bath and wider area’s high number of listed buildings to be made more energy efficient, through pressure on central government and Historic England;

14.The development of green industries can deliver economic benefits through creating well-paid, high-skilled employment locally, regionally and nationally as well as improved wellbeing for people worldwide;

15.The West of England Energy Strategy Framework has been agreed as a starting point for developing ambitious plans to support action on climate change;

16.The UK100 Agreement pledge includes the ambition to enable all the UK’s cities, towns, villages and rural areas to exceed the Paris Climate targets through achieving 100% ‘clean energy’ before 2050, but in discussion have agreed to support B&NES aiming to achieve the pledge by 2030.

Therefore, this Council resolves to;

17.Declare a Climate Emergency;

18.Pledge to provide the leadership to enable Bath & North East Somerset to become carbon neutral by 2030;

19.Sign up to the UK100 Pledge to provide the strategic community leadership needed to enable our communities to achieve 100% clean energy across all sectors in Bath & North East Somerset by 2030, as a logical step from the B&NES Environmental Sustainability Vision Motion passed unanimously by Council in July 2018, and as a way to enable carbon neutrality by 2030;

20.Request that the Cabinet takes steps to identify work streams and budgets with the aim of making B&NES Council carbon neutral by 2030, across all functions, as our contribution to fighting climate change;

21.Engage and work in partnership with our partners in the public, private and community sectors including the West of England Combined Authority and central government to facilitate bold action to ensure Bath & North East Somerset is able to play its role in helping the UK to deliver against the commitments made nationally and internationally at the 2015 Paris Summit;

22.Instruct Cabinet to work with the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) and our West of England partners to produce an ambitious delivery plan for the West of England Energy Strategy to use as a key tool for seeking government funding to help us deliver our 2030 target;

23.Update the B&NES Environmental Sustainability & Climate Change Strategy in line with this pledge, and, with our partners across the community, to develop an action plan and ‘route map’ to a sustainable, low carbon future for our community;

24.Request a progress report to Council in 6 months’ time, with an annual report on progress to full Council thereafter;

25.Launch real two-way engagement with the public to:

·  Improve “carbon literacy” of all citizens;

·  Encourage and support leadership on this issue in all sectors of society;

·  Obtain meaningful public input into the B&NES Environmental Sustainability & Climate Change Strategy and action planning;

·  Facilitate wide community engagement and behavioural change.

26.Oppose the proposed expansion of Bristol Airport.

[Notes;-

1.  The wording in bold in resolution 4 was proposed by Councillor Lin Patterson, and accepted into the substantive motion by the mover and seconder.

2.  During debate, an amendment was moved by Councillor John Bull and seconded by Councillor Joe Rayment, which sought to add some practical actions that could be taken.  This was lost, with 7 Councillors voting in favour, 39 Councillors voting against and 3 abstentions.

3.  Paragraph 26 of the resolution was added as a result of a successful amendment moved by Councillor Joe Rayment, seconded by Councillor Robin Moss and following a vote of 24 Councillors voting in favour, 22 Councillors voting against and 3 abstentions.

4.  The substantive motion was carried with 48 Councillors voting in favour and 1 abstention.]

5.  During debate, an unsuccessful proposal to extend the meeting to 10.15pm was lost with 21 Councillors voting in favour, and 28 Councillors voting against.